The California Aquaculture Association (CAA) and the National Aquaculture Association (NAA) recommend that members strongly support and request swift passage by their Senate and House members of S. 4012 and H.R. 7197 RESTAURANTS Act of 2020. This bipartisan legislation was introduced by Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Representatives Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa.
Americans eat approximately 60% of their seafood in restaurants. The effort to manage the spread of COVID-19 during the 1st quarter of 2020 resulted in these economic impacts primarily to US farms selling fish and shellfish to restaurants:
- Total Sales lost directly from U.S. aquaculture companies: $452 million to $592 million.
- Economic impacts (that include the indirect and induced effects of the above amounts of lost sales):
- On Economic Output: $797 million to $947 million.
- On Economic Value Added: $834 million to $1.1 billion.
- Direct employment losses from U.S. aquaculture: 10,000 to 12,000.
- Employment impacts (that include lost jobs from indirect and induced effects): 15,000 to 20,000 jobs.
The CAA and NAA strongly supports the RESTAURANTS Act of 2020 to maintain and rebuild a vibrant food service sector estimated to consist of 1 million+ restaurant locations and 15.6 million employees. Their success is essential to consumption of US farm-raised seafood and as a provider of business and employment nationwide.
S. 4102 and H.R. 7197 would create a $120 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund to provide structured relief to food service or drinking establishments through December 31, 2020. The Senate bill (S. 1402) was cosponsored by Senators Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Chris Coons, D-Del., and Doug Jones, D-Ala. The House legislation (H.R. 7197) was cosponsored by Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., Dwight Evans, D-Pa., Annie Kuster, D-N.H., Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif, Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, Adam Smith, D-Wash., Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Susan Wild, D-Pa.
Please remember contacting your Senator’s or Representative’s office nearest you is as effective as contacting their DC office. Describe the importance of restaurant sales for your farm and include the bill number. Find your Senator by clicking here. Find your House member by clicking here.
For a copy of the legislation, bill summary, or draft support letter, please contact the CAA office at info@caaquaculture.org.
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